To Be A Hero
by the-late-one
Summary: ::FINISHED:: Chris Jericho is the son of a blacksmith in the small western town of Blackfoot Lagoon, when a group of outlaws ride into town can he be a hero and get the girl? Please R&R Jericho/Steph fic
1. To Be A Hero

Disclaimer: Ok peeps it's the same as all disclaimers, I don't own any of these lovely WWE peeps I'm just borrowing them to make this a little more entertaining for everyone, I promise I will give them back to Mr. McMahon once I have finished with them unless I decide to keep Chris Jericho and some of the others hostage for a few days =)  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
When people ask me how I got to be where I am today I have my story all planned out to tell them, it's full of gunfights, heroes, kidnappings, cowboys and outlaws. The funny part about it is, it's all true. Some people don't believe me, they say "Chris, your delusional! How can the son of a blacksmith ever get caught up in an adventure like that" and I tell them I've been asking myself the same question since it happened. If I tell you the story now, you can decide for yourselves at the end if it's true or not. Here is my story..  
  
It all started in June, or was it May.. I don't recall dates very well so we'll just say it was June. It was a very hot June day like most June days around here. When I say here by the way, I mean here. My home, Blackfoot lagoon. It's a small town really, everyone knows everyone else (including their business) We have everything we need here, a barbers, the saloon, the sheriff's office, the jail, the undertakers, the local stores, the trading post and of course, my family business the blacksmiths. 'Jericho & son' that's us, with me being the '& son' part. So anyway where was I, hot June day blah blah blah oh yeah ok. Right, we'd had a lot of business lately because the horses kept throwing their shoes and we were rushed off our feet. The sheriff, Sheriff McMahon had come to see my father about some new spurs for his boots. He said that he didn't think that going to the trading post and getting some brought in was the right thing to do and that he would get my father to make him some, support the local craftsman and all that. I'm sure my father wouldn't have been offended if he had got some sent in, more relieved most likely. So there we were fitting these spurs to Sheriff McMahon's boots when Deputy Test came running in saying he had word from Black water Creek (our neighboring town even though it is 700 miles from us) that a group of outlaws had been spotted out on the trail heading this way. Sheriff McMahon payed my father before leaving quickly with his depute back to his office to contact Black water I presumed. I couldn't help but be excited, we hadn't had outlaws in this town for a good six years and where there were outlaws there was talk of gunfights, kidnappings and general law breaking. My father decided to close up early and told me that we'd finish with all the jobs the next morning and we headed over to the saloon. We wanted to see if anyone had heard anymore about the outlaws.  
  
"And so I caught the crooks, rescued the girl and rode off into the sunset!" Rocky yelled as a cheer filled the saloon, I couldn't help but roll my eyes when I heard this. How many times was he going to tell this story, after all it did happen nearly six years ago and it wasn't like he had done it single handedly. I couldn't understand why sheriff McMahon let him carry on saying he did all the work to stop the outlaws. Rocky was the 'local hero' as everyone liked to call him. He was tall, strong and cocky. Everyone in my town loved him; especially the girls and he knew it. They would follow him around all day begging him to tell the story of how he had caught the crooks and saved the town. My father and I stepped into the saloon and made our way over to a spare table and sat down, I couldn't help but feel a strong wave of envy as I watched Rocky swan around acting out his story again while being offered drinks by everyone at the bar.  
  
"You'll get your chance to be the local hero one day Chris" I heard a familiar voice say to me as my best friend Edge sat down at the table with us. My father excused himself and went up to the bar to talk the local saloon occupiers Bradshaw ad Faarooq.  
  
"I know I'll get my chance but it's just not fair how he gets everything just because he lied to get everyone to think he beat the outlaws by himself" I complain removing my old tattered hat and putting it down on the table in front of me.  
  
"Did you hear about the outlaws that were spotted on the trail" Edge whispers to me leaning in so our conversation cant be over heard "Imagine If it's the same ones for last time, Rocky cant have done that good a job if they're back" he laughs making me smile. I hoped it was the same ones, that would show Rocky that he wasn't such a big shot. "That could be your chance to be a hero"  
  
"I don't think I'm really up to saving the town from a bunch of outlaws Edge, saving a kitten from down a well I might just about be able to handle" I say looking over my shoulder as the doors to the saloon swing open and a shadow fills the door.  
  
"Has anybody seen Rocky anywhere?" Deputy Test bellows through the door as people move away from the bar to let him see that Rocky is fast asleep with his head against the top of the bar. Everyone moves aside as Depute Test strides into the room and walks over to the bar, he grabs Rocky by his collar and rags him outside. Everyone goes silent as they hear Deputy Test dunking his head in a horse trough outside trying to get him to wake up. Edge and I jump up and walk outside and over to Deputy Test and Rocky.  
  
"Is there any word on the outlaws?" Edge asks nodding towards the posters that are being put up all around town about them. While Edge is trying to get some more news from Deputy Test I step forward to look closer at the posters.  
  
"Edge you gotta come see this" I say grabbing his shirtsleeve and pulling him over to the side of the saloon where one of the posters has just been pinned up. His jaw drops just as mine had done when I had seen the poster "It's DX, the ones that Rocky claimed to have got rid of last time" I say, a huge smile spreading across my face.  
  
"Exactly, that's why Sheriff McMahon wanted me to come and get Rocky, but he's in not fit state to do anything right now let alone get rid of them again" Deputy Test says pushing a soaking and groggy Rocky towards us. "Some local hero he turned out to be" Deputy Test snorts walking off back to the office, we both look at Rocky and then at each other before hooking our arms around him and taking him home. 


	2. Takes Guts

Chapter 2  
  
So that's basically how this all started out, news of the outlaws returning to our little town. The same outlaws that our so-called 'local hero' was meant to have got rid of years ago. The town was in uproar; Rocky wouldn't be able to stop them this time. He was soon found out to be a fraud when he admitted that he couldn't stop them alone and that he had lots of help the last time around. His little friend Angle apparently grassed him into Sheriff McMahon, who was, lets just say less than happy to find out that Rocky hadn't been telling the truth this whole time. That's another thing I didn't mention, Angle. Angle is Rocky's little tag along sidekick if you will, he follows him everywhere. Angle thinks that he's Rocky's best friend but really Rocky only lets him tag along because he loves the attention and praise he gets from him. So we go back to the story, I was working that day and Edge had been sitting watching me all morning whining at me over and over to grab this chance with both hands and become the new local hero. An idea, which I wasn't exactly quick to agree with.  
  
"Come on Chris, you don't get chances like this everyday!" Edge says rolling the mallet around in his hands as he sits up on the wall watching me hammer the horseshoes into shape over the hot coals. "I bet if you saved the town Stephanie would like you," he laughs as I snatch the mallet from him and glare at him. He would mention her wouldn't he, another thing I haven't spoken about yet. Stephanie McMahon, the sheriff's daughter. He would always bring her up at the worse times, and especially when he wanted to use her name to make me do something.  
  
"Edge cant you go bother somebody else, I have to get these finished before this afternoon and your distracting me" I moan shoving him hard making him nearly fall off the wall and into the water trough. He pokes his tongue out at me and jumps off the wall; I shake my head and go back to my work as I hear him walk outside. I know he wont leave because he never does, he stands outside for a few minutes stamping his feet till I think he's gone then he'll charge back in and start messing around again. I put my tools down and stand still for a while waiting for him to come back.  
  
"Oh Crissy boy, you have a visitor!" He yells walking back inside grinning, he holds open the door and lets Stephanie in "Look who's come to see you Chris" He says beaming, I drop the hammer on my foot from surprise and try hard not to scream from the amount of pain I'm in.  
  
"Are you alright?" She asks walking over to me and handing me the hammer "You dropped it on your foot" I just nod my head and smile, now if Edge had said something like that to me I probably would have snapped back a very sarcastic comment. I think I might have guessed that I had dropped it on my foot from the amount of pain I was in but I didn't say anything just smiled like a mad man. "Everyone said you'd probably be in here so I just thought I'd stop by and see if you were going to the party on Saturday" I quickly glance over her shoulder at Edge who is dancing around behind her and pouting up his lips.  
  
"Erm, yeah I guess I am" I stutter, trying hard to form a whole sentence. I mentally congratulate myself for managing to say six whole words to her without showing myself up. The last time I spoke to her was a complete disaster, lets just say I was too busy trying to get the words out to ask her to the party that I didn't see the step and fell flat on my face in the dirt.  
  
"Stephanie!" Deputy Test says walking into the workshop, he looks at me like I'm a piece of dirt like he always does then walks over to Stephanie "I've been looking for you all morning, I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to the party with me on Saturday?" I glare at him hoping if I wish hard enough he'd disappear into thin air.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry Deputy Test but I'm going with Chris" Stephanie says sweetly turning to look at me, Deputy Test looks at me and then to Edge who is now sitting on the wall again trying not to laugh at this situation.  
  
"You are?" I say looking at her confused, I didn't remember at any point me asking her to go with me.  
  
"Yes of course, you just asked me remember" she says nodding her head as if to tell me to go along with it, I turn back to Depute Test and nod my head proudly. Asking her hadn't been as hard as I thought it would have been.  
  
"Well if this loser lets you down you know where I am, see you later..Chris, Miss McMahon" He says tipping his hat to us before walking out, I breath a huge sigh making her look at me strangely.  
  
"You make me laugh Mr. Jericho, I'll see you around then, I can't wait till Saturday," she says leaning in and kissing me on the cheek making me blush wildly. She smiles at Edge before leaving through the door, my legs wont let me stand up anymore and I fall to the floor and sit in the dirt as Edge runs over to me.  
  
"Chris got a date!" He yells running around me making me blush even more, he starts ruffling up my hair till I swat his hand away and kick him in the leg. He kneels down in front of me "Did you see old Test's face, I could have sworn he was going to have a heart attack when she said she was going with you!"  
  
"He wasn't the only one that could have had a heart attack when she said she was going with me" I said holding my heart feeling it race. I look at Edge who is still grinning at me, and then I feel the pain. I'd completely forgotten about my foot "God dammit Edge stop grinning like a fool!"  
  
"Ok, I'm sorry. So what are you going to wear, you gotta look good if your going with her. You can't wear any of the old tat you've got at the moment," he says pulling at my old dirty work shirt "You gotta look smart and presentable. She's the sheriffs daughter"  
  
"I know that Edge" I say climbing to my feet and dusting myself off "I've only got three days to go, what do I do!" I cry the fact suddenly hitting me that I had no nice clothes to wear to this party "I can't even dance!" I say realizing that some kind of dancing experience might come in handy.  
  
"Leave it to me, I'll sort out everything. All you gotta do is trust me and keep calm," Edge says grinning; I frown at him till he stops and then go back to work. 


	3. Takes Style

Chapter 3  
  
So there I was standing in Edges house while he went through his cupboard trying to find something that would fit me. We'd already gone through all my clothes and my fathers and according to Edge none of them where 'Good enough to wear when seen with the sheriffs daughter' I couldn't believe I was doing this, I'd just make a fool of myself and she'd hate me and that idiot Deputy Test would get his chance to show me up and laugh at me.  
  
"What about this?" Edge says holding out a shirt to me that looked about three sizes too small for me anyway. Edge was a lot slimmer and taller than me so none of his clothes would fit me anyway. "Just try it on, it looks small but I'm sure it'll be alright" He says pushing it towards me, at this rate I'd have to do double the work I was doing at the moment to go buy something new.  
  
"Fine, I'll try it on" I say pulling the shirt on and trying to do the buttons up "It's great, if it's supposed to come half way down my arms and not do up at the front" I say pulling it off again and chucking It at him "I'm just going to have to buy something, your old man will have something in the stores wont he?"  
  
"Yeah I suppose, I try to keep away from that place as much as I can. He'd get me roped into working there if he could, he keeps trying to get me to quit working at the undertakers and work for him" Edge says picking up his hat from the bed and heading towards the door. Edges family owned the general stores in the town; Edge didn't want to work there and got a job at the undertakers. Business was slow at the undertakers so he didn't have to do much so he would always come and watch me work and get in the way. "Pop? You here?" Edge shouts as we enter the shop.  
  
"Hello boys, Edge have you finally quit that job and decided to work for Copeland & son like you should be?" His father laughs sticking his head over the top of the counter.  
  
"No, I'm fine with the job I've got. Chris needs some new clothes for the party on Saturday, he's got a date" Edge says as I elbow him in the side.  
  
"A date huh, whose the lucky girl then? What kind of thing are you looking for?" He asks pushing the both of us towards the back of the store where the clothes and fabrics were. "You could always get something made for you, what do you think?"  
  
"Yeah white shirt, white trousers and a white Stetson hat" Edge chimes in "and he's got to have a new pair of boots and his outfit has to have gold trim and.." I put my hand over his mouth making him stop talking; this outfit was going to cost me a fortune if he kept on like he was. He pulled away from me quickly "and he's going with Sheriff McMahon's daughter" he yells quickly moving away from me and walking over to the other side of the store where he thought he'd be safe.  
  
"Hmm, the sheriffs daughter huh, then you are going to need an outfit like that. Have you any idea how much this is going to set you back?" he asks putting a hat template on my head.  
  
"More than I have" I say miserably, the bell chimes telling us that there are some customers are here so Edges dad excuses himself and goes to see who it is. I sit myself up on the counter and take a hat from the peg and study it in my hands. A hat alone would be a whole weeks work worth and I only had three days to get enough money.  
  
"Right, lets get these clothes of yours sorted out" he says walking back over to me and taking the hat from my hands and putting it back up on the peg. I jump down off the counter and pick up my own old tatty hat and put it back on.  
  
"I cant afford any of it, thanks anyway" I say starting to walk away, Edge walks over and hands his father a tape measure and some scissors. "I really can't afford it"  
  
"It's been paid for" Edge says cheerfully "That was Sheriff McMahon that just came In here and I told him by mistake that you asked Stephanie to the party and that your trying to get something nice to wear and he said to put it under his name and he'll pay for it!"  
  
"I can't ask him to pay for it, that's not right," I say.  
  
"You didn't ask him, you didn't even know he offered. Now hold still or this outfit wont be ready by Saturday!" Adam says measuring across my shoulders while his dad fitted me for a new hat. I couldn't help but smile to myself; I would pay the Sheriff back once I had the money. Maybe I'd pay him a little bit a week till I'd payed my debt, I could look forward to the party now.  
  
An hour or so later of getting all the measurements he needed and cutting the material Edges dad disappeared into the back room to start creating the perfect outfit for accompanying Stephanie to the party. Once we were done myself and Edge left the store saying goodbye to Steve Austin who helped run the store instead of Edge. We walk down the streets kicking the dust up as we go forming dust clouds.  
  
"Maybe we should go get you measured in there too" Edge says nodding towards the undertakers where he worked "Deputy Test looked like he wanted your blood Chris, he's not going to be a happy man when you turn up with her on Saturday" Edge laughs nudging me in the side.  
  
"That's really not funny," I say shoving him hard and glancing nervously over to the undertakers shop, he was standing outside on the porch-watching people go by. Edge waves to him and he gives him a nod back as we carry on our way "He's creepy" I say shuddering.  
  
"Yeah, but he gives me loads of time off so I don't care" Edge laughs "Wanna go see if there's any more news about the outlaws yet?" He asks dragging me towards the sheriff's office.  
  
"Like I have a choice," I say as we walk inside. 


	4. Takes Dreams

Chapter 4  
  
So everything was going fine, I had just three days till the party and my outfit was being made and it was paid for so no worries there. I wish we hadn't bothered going to the Sheriffs office, then maybe I wouldn't have found out the all that worry and bother was for nothing. While we were in the office waiting for Sheriff McMahon to see if there was any news on the outlaws a telegram from the next town came through saying that they hadn't been able to stop them on the trail like they first thought and that they would be arriving in Blackfoot Lagoon the very next day. This of course made Edge encourage me to go face these bandits on my own, whoever gave him the stupid idea that I was even brave enough to face one bandit let alone a whole gang of them was a real idiot. That person was of course himself!  
  
"Stephanie wouldn't be able to resist you if you saved the town" Edge says "She'd be all over you like a rash" He says draping his arms around my neck and puckering up his lips. I shove him off of me and go back to drawing in the dirt with the tip of my boots.  
  
"Chris your whole life you've been moaning about how nothing exciting ever happens and for the past few years how Rocky got all the credit, as soon as the chance comes up for you to have some excitement and to be like Rocky was you turn it down!" Edge says jumping to his feet "This is the chance you've been waiting for since you were eleven years old!" He cries jumping up onto the railing fence and walking along it.  
  
"This isn't the kind of excitement I had in mind Edge" I sigh "But if you think that being gunned down my a bunch of mad DX outlaws is exciting then go and do it yourself" I say picking up a stone and chucking it as hard as I can across the field.  
  
"Oh come on Chris, what have you got to loose. What do you have here for you anyway? Can you actually say you enjoy being here, neither of us have even been out of this town!" He says looking out into the distant, he was right. Neither of us had ever left the safety of good ol' Blackfoot Lagoon. We'd always made plans when we were younger to leave, to go off and find our fortune. To go and find somewhere exciting where no one knew who we were.  
  
"I have my job" I say looking up at him, he jumps down and sits next to me.  
  
"Anything else?" He asks questioningly, I look away and stare at the floor again. I didn't have anything else here, everything I wanted was elsewhere. Out there where we'd never been. "I didn't think so, it might sound like I'm trying to get you to get mixed up in all this outlaw stuff but I'm not. I'm just trying to get you to realize there is more than Blackfoot Lagoon and there is more than your poxy job" he gets up and climbs back over the fence and heads back towards the town.  
  
"Edge wait up" I say climbing to my feet and running after him. So there we were remembering how much we had wanted to get out of this town when we were kids and how much we still wanted to now we were older. Blackfoot Lagoon was getting too small for the both of us now, we wanted more excitement and our little sleepy town couldn't give us that. Well that was until they turned up.  
  
It was about noon the next day, when the shadows where nothing but small rings around our feet when they turned up. We knew they were coming because there had been nothing but streams of telegrams telling us that we should just all leave Blackfoot while we had the chance, some people did leave but most stayed. Blackfoot had survived them once and Blackfoot would do it again. As Edge and I walked around the town we couldn't help but notice how quiet it was, the streets were practically deserted now. Everyone had taken shelter in their homes, but most in the Saloon.  
  
"I've never seen this place so..empty" Edge gulps as we head towards the saloon where everyone had now gathered waiting for DX's arrival. Sheriff McMahon and his Deputy stand outside watching the horizon. "Chris lets go inside, I don't want to be out here when they arrive" I turn to look at my friend and for the first time in ages he looks genuinely scared.  
  
"Ok, we'll go inside" I say walking through the saloon doors shocked at the ghostly silence inside. No one was saying a word they all just stared helplessly out of the windows and at the floor. This really had them worried. I walk over to a table by the window and sit down hoping I'd still be able to see them through the panes. That's when I saw the dust in the distance, heading straight towards us.  
  
"They're here!" I hear somebody yell across the room starting an, everyone starts mumbling between themselves, I see a few bolt for the door and down the street obviously not wanting to stick around for this anymore.  
  
"Chris everything I ever said about trying to be a hero I take back, I really think we should leave this to Sheriff McMahon and Depute Test. Ignore everything I have ever said about adventures and wanting some excitement. I'm just dandy as I am" Edge says slipping down in his chair and pulling his hat down over his face making me laugh "I'm serious Chris, just leave it" I pat him on the head before getting up and heading to the door and stepping outside where some of the others are watching. 


	5. Takes Ambition

Chapter 5  
  
I really don't know what made me go outside, but I did. I guess I just wanted to be there, in the middle of the action and excitement. I'm not exactly well known for my bravery and I guess I was just so eager to prove to myself that I had guts I didn't really think about anything else. Luckily nothing happened but this is where my life started to change.  
  
I looked around me as everyone outside fell silent, the cloud of dust moving closer and closer to us. I squinted my eyes trying to make out the figures and see how many of them there were. I counted four at first glance but as they got closer I saw that there were five of them the same as there had been before. I knew that Sheriff McMahon wouldn't try and get rid of them using guns and attacking them, he'd probably just let them do what they wanted till they got bored and left.  
  
"Chris get inside now, your going to get yourself killed!" Edge hisses grabbing my sleeve and dragging me inside "Sometimes I wonder if you have any brain at all cos you don't have no guts!"  
  
"How could I get shot, they wont fire at us if we don't fire at them. Besides, I'm just interested In what's going on that's all" I say pressing my nose against the glass, watching my breath cloud it "I'd like to know who I'm dealing with before I save the town single handedly ya know!" I laugh a few seconds later wishing I'd never said that.  
  
"Saving the town huh" She says putting her hand on my back, I quickly turn round to face her nearly dying of fright, I look at Edge who starts whistling to himself and walks off over to the bar. I pull my hat off and place it down on the table and smile at her.  
  
"How are you today?" I ask politely again congratulating myself, I was definitely getting better at this whole talking to Stephanie thing. I pull out a chair for her to sit down in and then sit down opposite her scratching my ear nervously.  
  
"I'm just great, have you seen them yet?" She says tapping her fingers on the table, if I didn't know better I would have said it was like a snake charmer..Only not because, well I'm not a snake but I might as well have been. All I could do was watch her fingers like I was in a trance. She noticed this after a while and waved her hand in front of my face making me snap out of it. "You ok, you look kinda distant there"  
  
"No I'm fine, I'm just thinking about them that's all" I say smiling at her while looking into her eyes, I had to keep reminding myself she'd think I was some kind of lunatic if I kept staring at her like I was. I place my hands one over the other on the table trying to stop myself from shaking because I was so nervous.  
  
"Your so sweet" She giggles, I wonder if she'd seen how much I was shaking because she puts her hands over mine, instantly making my skin tingle. I sit there smiling awkwardly at her for a little while almost a little relieved when Edge comes over to get me.  
  
"Come on lover boy, put the poor young lady down and lets go" not exactly the kind of the thing I would of liked him to have said but I wasn't really bothered at the time. I move my hands from under hers and stand up stepping out from behind the table.  
  
"I'm sorry to just leave you like this, I know it's rude of me to leave a lady alone in the saloon" I say trying to sound as gentlemanly as I can, pretty pleased at how my acting skills turned out. I tip my hat to her like I'd seen Deputy Test do and take her hand and kiss it. "I'll see you around?"  
  
"I'll come looking for you if you don't" She says smiling; I smile back at her before being physically dragged away from her by Edge. I wave back at her before seeing Deputy Test walk over to her and start talking to her, what kind of man would just stand there gawking at the sheriffs daughter when there is more important matters such as the outlaws to think about I say to myself, before realizing that was exactly what I had been doing and take it back.  
  
"Chris snap out of it!" Edge yells grabbing my shoulders firmly and shaking them hard "I've never seen you so..Mushy. By letting her do this to you your letting her make you weak, she's making you drop all your defenses along with your common sense, it's what women do!" He says smacking me round the back of my head.  
  
"What?" I say looking at him, he lets go of me and puts his head in his hands. I think he was angry with me for not paying attention to what he was saying even though I was, he was talking about fenses..Or something like that!  
  
"Have you listened to a word I've been saying? Every time you see her you get worse, you don't even listen to me anymore! Soon your just going to be some brain dead blacksmiths son with no friends!" That's when he walked off and left me on my own in the middle of the street, I did think about going after him but I thought maybe he needed some time to cool off. I thought he was over re-acting about the whole thing, but I wouldn't tell him that to his face. I'd completely forgotten about the outlaws, that was until I remember that me and Edge had been standing in the middle of the street before he walked of and until I nearly got mowed down by five DX members on horseback. I had two options, stay and be trampled to death or do what any sensible young man would do..run as fast as my legs would carry me! So run I did, until one of them grabbed me.. 


	6. Takes Brains and Courage

Chapter 6  
  
I couldn't believe it; this huge guy was holding me off the ground at his eye level by my collar. I wiggled my feet around a few times trying to judge the distance I was going to fall if he decided to drop me but he soon answered that question for me as I hit the dirt. I scrambled to my feet quickly only to get the barrel of a gun pressed to my forehead, the five dismounted their horses and surrounded me while the biggest guy who I guessed must have been the boss held the gun to my head.  
  
"You're the blacksmiths boy aintya?" He says watching me; I turn my head slightly and look at the others who are all watching me too. I feel a lump form in my throat and slowly nod my head, telling him that I was probably just as old as him and not a boy didn't seem the right thing to do right then "So you know how to look after our horses" he asks clicking the latch onto his gun and tucking it back into it's holster making me breath a silent sigh of relief, they weren't going to kill me just yet. I nod my head again "What was that!"  
  
"Y..Yes sir, I can take care of your horses," I croak as he stuffs the bunches of reins into my hands, I look down at them and then back at him.  
  
"New shoes, feed, water and stable 'em," he says nodding to the other four in the other direction before walking off. I stand there alone again holding their horse's reins tightly in my fist. Was I to do as he said and maybe not get killed or was I to go to the sheriff and quite possibly get shot at? I had no where to really stable their horses but I thought that if I put them into the barn next to the workshop I'd be able to keep an eye on them and it was the best I could do. I slowly led them down the street past the undertakers to the workshop.  
  
"Chris! Are you ok?" Edge says running over to me, I couldn't help but smile to myself. I knew he wouldn't stay away for very long, his record was still only fifteen minutes of not talking to me. "I saw what happened, I thought he was going to blow your brains out"  
  
"Why would you care, I'm just a brain dead blacksmiths son with no friends remember" I say as get to the workshop, he follows me in and stands watching as me as I un-tack the horses and start fetching buckets of water and some hay for them. He takes one of the buckets from me and puts it down in the barn for them.  
  
"Hey you know I didn't mean that..So are you just going to look after them like he told you to?" he asks leaning over the door and putting his hand out to one of the horses.  
  
"Yeah I guess so, I mean those guys haven't done anything to me and the way I see it is that if I do this then they wont be able to shoot me" I laugh wiping my forehead on my sleeve.  
  
"That's a good way of thinking kid" he chuckles as the five of them step into the workshop, I see Edge quickly dart behind the wall pretending to see to the horses "Looks like it's your friend that's the yellow belly and not you" he says nodding towards Edge. "We thought we should stop by and introduce ourselves, we thought that maybe us holding the gun to your head and threatening to shoot you was a little..Rude of us" He laughs as the others snigger to themselves.  
  
"Well I'm Chris Jericho," I say bravely offering a handshake to this man, he looks around and the others who all laugh.  
  
"You sure you want to shake the hand of an outlaw?" I shrug my shoulders and keep my hand held out, he takes it and shakes it firmly "Smart and Brave, good combination" he says dropping my hand "You probably have already heard about us, but we're DX. We've got Billy the Kidd, Mad Dog Jesse James, Show Down Shawn Michaels, Bucking Bronco and myself..Helmsley" he points them out as he says the names, they were all dressed in black apart from Show Down Shawn Michaels who was dressed entirely in red. At the time I wasn't sure why this was, but I now know it was because there was a bit of a power struggle in their gang, both Helmsley and Show Down felt that they should have the leadership role and Show Down would wear red so he would stand out from the others making him look different from them.  
  
"I'll get to work on those shoes for you right away" I say hoping that this might make them leave, I wasn't scared of them. They had their chance to shoot me out on the street and they didn't and I was helping them out and hoped they'd be grateful for that.  
  
"Chris! Oh my god, your alright! I was so worried, someone said they were going to kill you!" Stephanie yells and runs towards me throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me. I hug her back not going to let this opportunity go. I see them all looking at her and nudging Helmsley. She lets go of me and stands beside me just behind my shoulder as if using me as a shield to protect her from them.  
  
"Are you going to introduce us to this pretty young lady?" Helmsley says stepping forward and looking at me and then back to Stephanie, I shake my head and feel her cling onto the back of my shirt. "Ah so it's like that, kinda special to you so you don't want no bunch of outlaws getting near her, am I right?" he crosses his arms over his chest and stares at me.  
  
"Very special" I manage to croak as he smiles and shakes his head.  
  
"Well if you wont do it, I'll introduce myself. I'm Hunter Hurst Helmsley, but people call me Helmsley..But you already knew that didn't you Stephanie, it's been a long time. Six years now, did you miss us?" he laughs stepping closer to her again.  
  
"I think you should leave now" I say stepping straight in front of her now so that Helmsley cant get any closer to her, I stand as tall as I can but am still no match for him. "Like I said..I will get to work on those shoes for your horses and I will look after them," I say bravely looking him straight in his eyes.  
  
"Come on boys, I think we outstayed our welcome. Remember this Jericho; I'll me watching you like a hawk..Miss McMahon, I'll see you soon" he says turning and walking out followed by the others, I turn to Stephanie who bursts into tears. Edge climbs back over the wall and looks at me wondering what we're supposed to do with her. I shrug my shoulders and put my arms around her letting her cry into my shoulder, it seemed to work anyway. 


	7. Takes Pain

Chapter 7  
  
I was so glad they left when they did or I might have done something totally stupid that could have got me shot or something. I was so angry with them for making her cry like that, it took me ages to get her to stop crying and talk to me. I hadn't even thought about what could have gone on when they were here last time; I wasn't all that bothered then what went on in the sheriff's family. Last time they were in town they had kidnapped Stephanie and refused to let her go till sheriff McMahon paid them money and handed over the town to them. They were driven out of town in the end by some of the men along with some that came from Black water to help us. I always wondered who the girl was that Rocky claimed to have saved and 'got' in the process. The outlaws had been in the town for a day now and I had just two days to go to the party and my outfit was nearly finished. I'd got over my not being able to talk to her phase and felt really comfortable around her, I spent the whole day with her the day before and I was on my way to go to her house to pick her up. She didn't like being on her own while DX were around and for some reason she thought I'd be able to look after her.  
  
"Chris slow down will ya!" Edge shouts running to catch up with me, he insisted on tagging along with Stephanie and me for the day. I couldn't really say no to him because we really didn't have any other friends apart from each other and he looked all sad and alone.  
  
"I cant be late, I said I'd be there at eleven" I say quickening my pace making him whine even more, I stop and wait for him to catch up "Why did you even bother coming with me if you are going to be a pain?" I say as he catches me up and carries on walking trying to get ahead of me.  
  
"Well someone has to keep their eye on you two love birds" he laughs as I shake my head and carry on walking, we get to the sheriffs house and I step up onto the porch and knock on the door. I stand waiting for a while and hear Edge laughing quietly "Some bodies nervous" he says smiling at me. I go to say something back to him but the door opens and Sheriff McMahon stands there.  
  
"Good morning Sheriff" I say taking my hat off as he opens the door inviting me inside. "Is Stephanie ready?" I ask before having my own question answered when she walks down the stairs smiling at me. My heart leaps into my throat and I gulp as she walks over to me. "You look beautiful"  
  
"Thank you" she says as I hold out my hooked arm to her "Bye Daddy" she says taking my arm and almost hugging it with both of hers.  
  
"Stay away from them, if you see them you bring her straight home" Sheriff McMahon says to me as he walks us to the door "Even if you see them bring her home"  
  
"I will," I say putting my hat back on and walking down the steps to the porch with her where Edge sits waiting for us. He climbs to his feet and grins at Sheriff McMahon making me roll my eyes. We set off down the street talking away to each other as Edge skulks along behind us; I had no idea where we were going we were just walking around. We soon decided to go down to the creek where there was some shade out of the midday sun; it was Edges idea because he had been complaining about the heat since we left the McMahon's house.  
  
"Chris, watch me!" Edge shouts to me skimming stones across the water "Chris watch!" he shouts again, I'd heard him the first time but I really didn't want to watch him skimming stones. I'd see him do it a million times before. We sit under the trees, she leans against my shoulder and holds my hand tightly watching Edge splash around in the water.  
  
"Ah how sweet" Helmsley laughs leaning against the tree we are sitting under, I look up at him as Stephanie sits up quickly still holding onto my hand.  
  
"What do you want?" I snap at him, he just laughs again. By this time Edge has heard what is going on and has waded out of the water and is walking towards us. I climb to my feet letting go of Stephanie's hand and grab Helmsley's collar in clenched fists "Keep away from us!" I yell as Edge runs over not managing to get to me in time. Helmsley's huge fist comes towards my face as he nails me right in the nose making blood gush from it. Edge dives in between us and holds me back as I take a swing back at Helmsley, Edge pushes me back as Helmsley starts laughing and walks off. Stephanie looks at me and my bloodied face before running off. I had acted like a complete idiot loosing my cool with him like that; I must have looked so bad to her.  
  
"I'll go after her, you get back home and clean yourself up. I'll make sure she gets home" he says before running after her, I cup my nose in my hands and kick at the ground angrily. It had been going so well till he showed up and ruined everything. I can feel the blood dripping into my hands and I slowly walk home trying to let my anger calm. She was going to hate me forever now, I totally screwed everything up. She'd think I was some guy that would attack people all the time and she'd break off going to the party with me and go with that pompous idiot Deputy Test! I wiped my face with my sleeve as I walked back up the track towards the town and home.  
  
"I bet you think your smart don't you" Helmsley said as he appeared with his gang blocking my way "Trying to stand up to me in front of her only to get your nose bust, your lucky I didn't pull the gun on you right there and then" he says grabbing my shirt collar. "You stay out of my way Jericho, you come anywhere near me again and your friend Edge will get some work at that undertakers when they burry your broken body ya hear me!" he yells letting go of me and shoving my backwards.  
  
"I hear ya" I growl pushing past him to walk away, he grabs the back of my shirt and picks me up and grabs my around my throat.  
  
"You show me some respect or I'll beat it into you" he says, I push him away from me and carry on walking not caring what he did to me now. I can hear him trying to come after me but his friends hold him back, I guess they didn't want my death on their hands.  
  
"Swing for it!" I shout back at him before sprinting off home in case they decided to let him go and kill me, I run up my front porch and push open the door walking inside our broken down old house. I walk into my room and over to the basin and mirror and look at myself. My face was bloodied and my eyes were already bruising and swelling from the hard right hand from Helmsley. I ran some water onto a cloth and cleaned off the blood and winced as I held it to my nose.  
  
"What in gods name happened to you!" My father says walking into my room and seeing me, I turn to face him as his eyes widen seeing my whole face. "Please Chris, tell me you didn't get into a fight, I thought I brought you up well on my own. I thought I brought you up to know fighting isn't the right thing to do..I hope though the other guy looks worse than you," he says walking over to the cupboard and going through his bottles of ointments and treatments.  
  
"I didn't even get a shot at the other guy" I say miserably, given the chance I would have broke his goddamn nose! "It was one of the outlaws, the leader Helmsley. I got mad with him after he turned up when I was down at the creek with Stephanie and he hit me" I say as my father walks over to me with a bottle of brown liquid inside it.  
  
"I want you to stay away from them, they are nothing but trouble and I don't want you getting yourself hurt again" he says dabbing some of the foul smelling liquid onto the cloth and making me hold it against my face. "This will help the bruising and the swelling," he says putting the bottle down on the side cabinet "I know you care about her but getting yourself beat up because of her isn't the way to prove to her now is it"  
  
"No I guess not," I say wishing I could hold my nose to block out the disgusting stink of the medicine.  
  
"There's no 'I guess not' about it Chris, you stay away from them from now on, you may be older now but I'm still your father and you still live under my rules. Keep away from them" he says sternly before walking out of the room, he was right. Getting myself beat up wasn't the best way to impress Stephanie and with my face looking like it was right now probably wouldn't help matters. 


	8. Takes Love

Chapter 8  
  
I sat for the rest of the day hiding myself in my house, laying low for a while till everyone had cooled down. Ok so I knew if I went out there I might get my ass kicked by the whole of DX. I was hurt, not only my face but my pride and my heart. I had ruined everything with Stephanie and she would probably never talk to me again. I lay on my bed with my arms folded under my head just staring at my ceiling wondering what the hell I was going to do now I had got myself on the wrong side of a bunch of crazy killers.  
  
"Knock knock" Edge says opening my door and walking in, I give him a weak smile and sit up letting him sit down on the end of the bed. He looks at my face and shakes his head "God Chris you look like you've been run over by a stage coach" he laughs making me smile.  
  
"Feels like it to I can tell ya!" I smile feeling a little bit better; he pulls me up and chucks me a clean shirt "What are you doing? I'm not going anywhere if that's what your thinking" I say chucking it back at him.  
  
"Yes you are Christopher, you are going straight round to Stephanie's house, with great gifts and you are going to apologies for letting her see that today and you are going to get back to being all gooey and mushy with her and I'm not taking no for an answer!" He says, I knew it was no good arguing with him now. I pulled on my shirt and headed for the door with him. He started off in the complete wrong direction of Stephanie's house, I run after him.  
  
"Wait, Edge her house is this way," I say catching up with him and pointing behind me just incase he didn't get the whole; we're going the wrong way tone of my voice.  
  
"Like I said, you have to take some great gifts with you and that's why we're going to the work shop so you can make her something nice, well something other than a horseshoe. Make her..I dunno a broach or something pretty" He says making me stop and stare at him.  
  
"Edge you do understand I make shoes and other things out of steel, not pretty little broaches. Besides it'll be rubbish if it's made out of steel, I have nothing else to make it out of do I!" I say as he pushes open the door to the workshop and goes inside, he climbs up onto the wall and into the hayloft in the roof and starts searching around. "No! No way, my dad would kill me if he found out!" I shout as Edge appears with a small cloth bag, he jumps down and walks over to me "Put it back now, if he finds out we've taken some of this he will shoot both of us and you know he will" I say snatching the bag from him.  
  
"We only need a couple of pieces, enough for you to melt down. When was the last time he actually checked it was all there, ten, twenty years ago. He won't even notice!" He says taking the bag back from me and opening it carefully and tipping a couple of the nougats onto his hand "He wont even notice they're gone, he cant just leave them up there forever"  
  
"He needs them, that's all we've got after this business" I say staring at the nougats in his hand, they were worth a fortune, each nougats was at least the size of a small chicken egg and he had four in total. My father had won them at a game of cards when he first started out our business, before I was even born. There was a great gold rush and a couple of guys managed to get lucky finding enough gold for them to never worry about money again, one of them passed through our town and after drinking too much in our saloon challenged my father to a card game, loosing four of his precious gold nougats. "I suppose I could always pay him back one day, and he probably wont even notice" I say trying to convince myself that he really wouldn't mind. I pick up the nougats excitedly and walk over to my workbench and the fire. "It's going to take me hours to get the fire hot enough, and then I have to make a mould, melt it down and start working on it" I say as I start packing wood and anything I could find into the fire desperate to get it going.  
  
"If it takes you hours, it takes your hours. I'm going to help you anyway; you can give it to her tomorrow morning when we go round there.when you go round there" he says sitting down on the wall next to me watching me walking around mixing up a bowl of clay and plaster to make the first mould that would help me make the steel mould.  
  
"Wait a minute, what am I even making the broach of!?" I say stopping and looking up at him, he shrugs his shoulders and walks over to me.  
  
"I dunno what about a flower or something, you know a pretty flower for a pretty sheriffs daughter, I dunno make her what you want. Oh I know, what about a little heart and you can engrave the back or something, you're smart enough to do that" He says looking over my shoulder as I start making the first mould.  
  
"You don't need to be smart to engrave it, I'm just not sure if we have the tools to do it" I say concentrating hard on getting it the right shape till I'm happy with it. I put it down and walk over to the fire checking on it putting in some more wood to get it going better. "This better work you know"  
  
"It will trust me, she'll love it," he says as I start working on the broach for Stephanie.  
  
I had no idea what time is was when I was adding the finishing touches to it, but it must have nearly morning because it was getting lighter outside. Edge had fallen asleep in the hay hours ago while I continued to work. It was perfect, I had engraved it and everything 'Love Always, Chris' it said on the back which I had sketched carefully into the gold. I held it up to the lamp to look at it, it was still a little bit warm so I placed it down on the bench to cool a bit more. I walk over to Edge and kick him gently with the toe of my boot making him stir.  
  
"I'm done, we can go now" I say kicking him again till he opens his eyes and looks at me "Come on, we can go home now. I finished it" I say as he climbs to his feet yawning and brushing the hay off of himself, he looks out the door at the lightening sky and rubs his eyes "It's morning" I laugh.  
  
"Have you been working all night on it!" he asks walking over to the bench and looking at it, I nod my head proudly before wrapping it up in a piece of cloth and dropping it into my pocket. We walk home along the streets listening to how quiet the whole town seemed, no one was up and about yet and the whole place seemed like a ghost town. We arranged to meet up around noon before walking back off to our houses to sleep. 


	9. Takes a heart of gold

Chapter 9  
  
"What do I do if she wont talk to me and refuses to see me?" I ask stuffing my hands in my pockets as we walk along the dusty track towards the McMahon's house. I hold the tiny leather bag containing the broach lightly in my hands desperate not to loose it.  
  
"Then you make her see you" Edge says buttoning us his waistcoat before turning to me and straightening out my collar. I push his hands away "I'm just trying to make you look pretty" he laughs doing up my shirtsleeves; I frown at him and undo them again rolling them up my arms. We both look behind us as we hear horses coming towards us as a fast pace; we turn around to see the DX gang riding towards us. We try to jump out of the way but they speed past us and ride around us forming a circle around us.  
  
"Where are you two off to looking so smart?" Show Down Shawn Michaels says to us pushing his hat up out of his eyes to get a better look at us. I tighten my grip on the leather pouch and slip it into my waist coat pocket. I see Helmsley narrow his eyes and look at me.  
  
"What've you got there Jericho?" he says staring at me. I shake my head telling him that I haven't got anything. He slips his foot out of his stirrup and kicks me hard in the chest knocking me backwards onto the floor. He jumps down off of his horse and walks towards me, he grabs me round my ankle and picks me up holding me upside down making the bag fall out of my pocket to the ground. He drops me to the floor as I scramble to get the broach. He stamps his foot down hard on my fingers as I yell in pain and fall backwards again. He scoops the bag up from the dirt and opens it tipping it into his hand.  
  
"Is it Gold Hunter?" Shawn says jumping down too and walking over to him, the two study it for a minute while Edge pulls me to my feet. It was the first time I'd heard anyone call him Hunter before. A huge smile spreads across Helmsleys face as he holds the broach up to show the others.  
  
"You make this yourself Jericho?" he asks rolling it around in his fingers holding it out to me, I snatch for it but he pulls his hand away too quickly and laughs "Your damn right it's gold" he laughs "Was this for your girlfriend? Too bad she's never going to see it again..Or you for that matter" he says grabbing his gun out of his holster and aiming it towards me.  
  
"You give them back what you've taken from them and leave those boys alone!" Sheriff McMahon yells clicking his gun back after loading it and pointing it straight at Helmsley, Helmsley looks at me and then back at the sheriff before putting his gun away and dropping the broach to the floor. I grab it quickly and hold it in my fist as DX mount their horses and ride away from us. "That's twice in the space of about three days you've nearly got yourself killed Chris Jericho" he says sliding the pellets out of his gun and holding it in the crook of his arm again as he rides towards us "I suggest you go home"  
  
"I have to see Stephanie" I say just as he turns to leave "I know she probably doesn't want to see me but it's important, I have to see her sheriff" I pull the broach out to check it's not broken before holding the bag out to him "Please just give her this for me" I say pushing it into his hand, he nods his head before riding back to the house.  
  
"Being your best friend is going to get me killed" Edge says watching me, waiting and hoping that Stephanie would come out and forgive me. We stood there for ages, Edge just kept reassuring me that she would probably come out in a minute and that she could be just taking so long because she fainted at the shock of such a great gift.  
  
"I knew it wouldn't work" I say sadly, turning to walk away. I was so angry; I'd spent all night making that stupid thing. I'd taken the gold from my father without even asking and she didn't even care!  
  
"CHRIS WAIT!" Stephanie shouts running out of the house towards us, I turn round and see her coming towards me. She jumps into my arms nearly knocking me backwards and hugs me tightly. "I love it, it's beautiful" she says pulling away from me and shows me that she's wearing it.  
  
"I'm really sor.." she puts her finger over my lips before kissing me softly, I pull her into a hug again and see Edge grin at me before walking off back towards the town. "I am so sorry you had to see that yesterday, I just didn't want him to ruin it," I say taking her hand in mine.  
  
"Chris it's alright, it doesn't matter now. I've forgotten all about it" she says as we start walking down the track towards the town, I thought that I'd feel strange with her and out of place because of who she was and who her father was but I didn't. I was so happy.  
  
Later that evening after taking her home and saying goodnight I heading to the saloon wondering if Edge might still be there, we went to the saloon if nothing else was going on around town in the evening. Which was quite a lot, we would play cards and wait till everyone had gone home and then head off ourselves. I pushed open the doors and looked around before spotting him at a table talking to Kurt and Steve Austin.  
  
"The master of romance has returned" Edge says laughing and pulling a chair out for me to sit down in "So how was your day with the lovely Stephanie?" He asks as I slump down in the chair next to him putting my hat on the table.  
  
"Edge you are a genius! She loved the broach and was wearing it all day, it was so perfect!" I say resting my chin in my palms putting my elbows up on the table "Ah life is good" I sigh before laughing, Edge rolls his eyes and ruffles my hair and mouths to Kurt 'He's in love'.  
  
"Don't look now, it's Deputy Test and he doesn't look happy," Kurt says slipping down in his chair and looking over in Test's direction. "Maybe he heard about you and Stephanie Chris" Sheriff McMahon walks in after his deputy and holds the saloon door open for Stephanie.  
  
"Aren't you the same beautiful princess I left a few minutes ago?" I say getting up as she walks over to us and kisses me, I let her sit down in my chair and pull another one over from the next table and sit down next to her.  
  
"I just can't seem to stay away from you Mr. Jericho," She giggles holding my hand and putting it in her lap and smiling at me. She kisses me again and leans against me in my arms, I look over to Deputy Test who is glaring at me from across the room. Nope, he was definitely not very happy this evening. 


	10. Takes a horse

Chapter 10  
  
So the day I had been preparing for all week had arrived and I was on my way to pick up my new outfit, all the bad things aside the week hadn't been that bad. Yeah I got punched in the face by Helmsley and I did nearly lose my chance with Stephanie, and ok they did nearly get away with the present I'd made her and I still hadn't explained to my father about the gold I had used from him. But one fact made all of them not matter anymore, Stephanie and me were a couple and it was official. She'd even gone and told that snotty nosed Deputy Test that we were together after he came over and started trying to get her to change her mind and go to the party with him. I really did hate that creep. "Well it's very white and new looking" I say admiring myself in the full length mirror, Edge drops the hat onto my head and I look at myself again "Wow this is great" I say grinning at my reflection in the mirror "She is going to love this" I say tipping my hat to one side of my head.  
  
"You look very smart, your certainly be the best dressed lad at the party" Edges dad laughs taking the hat from me and putting it into a box for me to carry home "You make sure you tell people you got that here, might be good for business" he says as I walk behind the curtain to get changed.  
  
"Your boyfriends behind the curtain in his underwear" I hear Edge laugh after hearing the bell of the shop ring, I peek through the gap in the curtains and see Stephanie standing in the shop talking to Edge. I pull on my trousers and my shirt quickly and pull on my boots.  
  
"Good morning Princess" I say walking out tucking my shirt into my trousers and doing up the last couple of buttons on my shirt. I hand my new clothes to Edge's dad before walking over to Stephanie, picking her up and spinning her around making her laugh.  
  
"Good morning to you too, are you picking up what your wearing tonight?" she asks, I sit her down on the counter in front of me and she puts her arms around my neck and kisses my forehead. I pick my new hat up out of the box and place it on my head and grin at her. "Very nice, is that all your going to be wearing this evening or are you thinking of wearing some more clothes" she laughs pushing it down over my eyes.  
  
"Well I thought I would" I laugh and jump up onto the counter next to her and pull her up onto my lap, putting my arms around her.  
  
"Eh we'll have none of that in our shop!" Edge laughs sticking two fingers in his mouth making out he's going to be sick, I just roll my eyes and hold onto Stephanie even tighter and laugh when she pokes her tongue out at Edge.  
  
"Since when has it been anything to do with you, you hate this place and refuse to work here remember" I grin at him and kiss Stephanie's cheek before slipping off of the counter and putting the lid on the box of my new clothes and putting them under my arm. I hold out my hand to her and help her down and hug her tightly "I've got some work to do if I'm going to be going out this afternoon"  
  
"I knew it, I knew you had another girlfriend and you'd let it slip that you were going to go somewhere with her" Stephanie laughs playing with my hair "I thought you loved me Chris Jericho"  
  
"I do love you but you know, this other girl is stunning, she's the sheriffs daughter too! I'm very sorry an all but I'm taking her to the party" I say playing along with her, she puts her hands on her hips and looks at me.  
  
"Uh-huh sure, like any other girl would want to go with you" she giggles. I grab her round the waist gentle and pull her closer to me.  
  
"Well if you feel like that about me maybe you don't want to go with me after all" I say pulling away from her and going to walk to the door, she grabs my arm and pulls me back over to her and puts her arms around me neck. "Wanna go with Deputy Test?"  
  
"Yeah sure, why on earth would I ever want to go with him, your hundreds times better than him. Besides I think he's ugly! Not like you with your stunning good looks and beautiful blonde hair" She laughs pulling me around the room with her as she starts dancing around, she lets go of my hands and I fall backwards straight into Deputy Test who must have heard our whole conversation because he doesn't look very happy, but then when does he. "Good morning Test" Stephanie coos sweetly before grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the door laughing.  
  
"There he is!" I hear them shout as they come towards them on horseback again, we stop walking as they ride out in front of us stopping us moving. "Hunter wants to see you Jericho, he's back at your house" Billy the Kidd continues hooking back his jacket to show us that he had a gun.  
  
"Tell Hunter that if he wants to see me he can come and fine me himself" I say wishing that I wouldn't keep trying to stand up to these guys and get myself hurt. I look at Stephanie and then back at DX "Let Stephanie pass and home and I'll come with you" she grabs hold of my arm tightly stopping me from making her go.  
  
"We don't make bargains I'm afraid," Helmsley laughs as he appears on his horse; he rides closer to us and looks down at us. "I hope you'll still enjoy the party without Stephanie," he says nodding to the others who grab hold of me. Helmsley grabs Stephanie pulling her up onto the front of his horse before riding off taking her with him.  
  
"Stephanie!" I scream thrashing my arms and legs around trying to get out of their grip, they drop me before riding off after him. I run as fast as I can after them trying to keep up with their horses, I try to knock Billy the Kidd off of his horse but he kicks at me sending me falling into the ground face first. "BRING HER BACK YOU BASTARDS!" I yell pounding my fists into the dirt as I lay face down on the floor. I pull myself up till I'm on my knees, people have gathered around after hearing my shouting and what had been going on.  
  
"Chris!" Edge shouts running over to me and skidding down next to me and grabbing my shoulders "What's happened!" he pants shaking my shoulders as I sit with my head in my hands covered in dirt. He pulls me to my feet and guides me over to the porch where he sits me down. I look over to outside the saloon before pulling away from him and over to where three horses are tied up. "Chris where are you going!" He shouts after me as I run towards them, untying one and jumping up onto it.  
  
"To get Stephanie back" I say before racing after them as fast as the horse would take me. 


	11. Takes a vision

Chapter 11  
  
I had no idea where they were going or even where I was going, all I knew was that I had to get her back safely and that I wouldn't let any of them harm her and get away with it. I chased them across the plains till the town could no longer be seen and all that was around us was the empty mountains and dry ground. I was scared to death, I'd never been here before but I was too angry to think about it. I saw them not far ahead and tried to catch them up but my horse was getting tired, I'd be in enough trouble for stealing the horse as it was and the last thing I needed was to kill it from exhaustion. I sit watching as they disappear into the horizon before turning back and heading back to Blackfoot Lagoon.  
  
"What the hell did you think you were doing!" My father yells at me as I arrive home, I walk to my room and slam the door on him not wanting to listen to him telling me how stupid it was going after them on my own. I sit down on my bed desperately trying to think of a plan to get her back, chasing them all over the place wasn't going to get her back. I'd totally worn myself out going after them like that; I lay down on my bed running plans through my heads. Most of them involving me shooting the lot of them, I didn't even remember falling asleep.  
  
I sit bolt up my whole body burning, my clothes were sticking to my back and I was shaking all over. I run my hands over my face as the memories of what I had dreamt come back to me. It was so real; I'd gone after them again armed with a shotgun to kill them all. The next part was all a blur to me though; all I remembered was being shot and the pain. I look at my shirt, some part of me expecting to see the hole and the blood from the gunshot.  
  
"I'm coming with you" Edge says as I see him sitting over on the chair in the corner of my room, he'd been so quite I hadn't even noticed him sitting there.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I ask running my hand over my hair clamping my hands together behind my neck. "I just need to be on my own so I can think what do to is that too much to ask!" I say hearing the own anger in my voice, it wasn't his fault but I guess I was just looking for someone to take it out on.  
  
"I'm not an idiot Chris, I know what your like..And besides you were talking in your sleep" he laughs before realizing I wasn't finding it funny "I'm your friend and I'm going to help you get her back, even if you wont let me go with you I'm still going to help you" he says, I nod my head and give him a weak smile. He wasn't half a persistent pain in the ass sometimes.  
  
"I feel like a complete idiot" I sigh pulling on my new boots outside the stores as Edge stands with my own horse. "Is this really necessary, cant I just..Wear normal clothes!" I whine straightening out my jacket.  
  
"Hell no, your going to fight some bad guys so you have to look the part" he laughs handing me the gun belt which I clip around my waist. I was standing there all in white in my new outfit; Edge had said that I would probably blind them from the whiteness in the sun. He thought that I should be wearing it while I rescued Stephanie..Or at least tried to. I climb up onto the horse and grab the shotgun that he hands me; I look down at him with a worried look on my face "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm going to get shot" I mumble remembering my dream "If I go after them I'm going to get shot and I'm going to die in the middle of no where and no one will ever see me again" I sob almost changing my mind about going after Stephanie and would have done if Edge wasn't making sure I couldn't get off the horse.  
  
"I know that, that's why I took the time to make you a metal plate so you don't die, you were talking about it in your sleep when I walked in" he says pulling a big plat of metal out of a bag that was badly hammered into the shape of a chest plate.  
  
"I am not wearing that!" I say pushing it back to him  
  
"Chris I made this myself, it's brilliant. I modeled it to myself though so it might not fit very well but it will stop you dying and that's good for all of us. Just put it on!" He says shoving it at me making me nearly fall of the horse, I roll my eyes and strap the plate to myself under my jacket before buttoning my jacket and waistcoat up. "You sure you don't want me to come with you because I will, I'd follow you where ever you went if it helped you" I was surprised, it was such a nice thing for him to say.  
  
"I'm sure Edge, you've helped me enough as it is. I don't want you getting hurt too," I say wriggling around trying to get comfy with this chunk of metal strapped to me.  
  
"Good luck Chris, don't get shot because I don't have any other friends and I'll miss you if you die" he says, I frown at him before he grins at me making me laugh "I was always good at sentimental stuff ya know" he grins strapping a bag to my saddle.  
  
"Yeah your great at it, see you soon" I say before riding off out of the town to get Stephanie back. If I stuck to the trail I was bound to find them sooner or later, not even they would venture off the trail into Indian land would they? 


	12. Takes a body of steel

Chapter 12  
  
I started off slowly along the trail not knowing how far or where they had gone but I didn't think that even they were stupid enough to leave the track and go out onto the Indian's Land, that would just be an act of suicide and they would sooner kill you than look at you if they didn't know who you were. I'd always heard stories of what had gone on between us and the Indians and I hoped that I wouldn't ever be one of the ones telling the stories. I didn't know where I was going but I had more important things to think about, such as what I was going to do when I found them and to remember to keep my eyes open for them at all times. I shifted my weight awkwardly in the saddle Edges amour for me restricting my movement, I stop and look around me hoping to see anything, any sign of life anywhere to reassure me I wasn't on my own. I carry on riding till I see the ridge drop slightly into a small gorge before even-ing out again for what seemed like miles ahead of me, I climbed down from my horse and walked over to the edge which gave way to about a ten foot drop to the ground below. I saw their horses tied up to a rotten old tree stump and Stephanie sitting beside them.  
  
"Stephanie, are you alright!?" I call down to her; she looks up and sees me as I start running down the slope towards her. As soon as I reached the bottom and grabbed hold of her I knew this wasn't right, surely they wouldn't make it this easy for me to find them and just leave her there unless..It was a trap! "We have to get out of here," I say grabbing her hand and running back up the side of the gorge helping her.  
  
"Chris you shouldn't have come here, they're waiting for you. They knew you'd come after me, they're going to kill you" she tries as we stumble to climb up the dry soil, I turn back to her and pick her up in my arms and carry her the rest of the way. "Just leave me here, go back and get help" she sobs, I put her down and grab her hand.  
  
"I am not leaving you, I said I would save you and that's exactly what I'm doing. I cant live without you Stephanie," I say helping her up onto my horse and climbing up behind her, I pull my shotgun out from the flap of the saddle and load the pellets into it.  
  
"Just go back, they wont know you've been here!" she says pulling the gun out of my hand and struggling against me. I grab hold of her and kiss her stopping her from struggling, I let go of her and take the gun from her "I cant loose you" she says hugging me tightly.  
  
"The only way you are going to loose me is if you keep fighting against me and make me shoot myself, now just leave me to do this, I know what I'm doing" I lie as she lets go of me, I grab the reins and head towards the town as fast as I can. I look behind us as I hear them coming after us on their horses, firing at me as they go. "Take these and keep going," I say handing her the reins, I turn around so I can see them and bring the shotgun up so I can aim at them. I let my finger press lightly against the trigger lining the barrel up with one of the outlaws; I squeeze the trigger softly as the gun thuds against my shoulder from the shot. I curse under my breath having missed them and load another pellet in, Mad dogg starts gaining on us and moves to my left, I try and turn to fire at him but Stephanie grabs the handgun from my holster and fires it at him knocking him from her horse.  
  
"One down, four to go" she grins at me turning the chamber so her gun is loaded again, I shake my head and smile at her before firing another shot at the oncoming DX group. I hadn't even notice Hunter leave the group and ride around till he was a hundred metres or so to our left. "Chris!" Stephanie shouts to me pointing him out while she tries to keep our horse moving steadily, I turn round to face him and squeeze the trigger knowing this shot would get him. I see him grab his leg after my shot, his hands stained with his own blood. He looks up at me before raising his gun and firing. I didn't have time to react; the bullet hit me hard in the chest knocking me from the horse.  
  
"Jesus Christ!" I yell clutching my chest as I lay in the dirt in agony, I hear Stephanie run over to me and drop to my side. She grabs my hand and holds it tightly in hers, brushing the hair from my face as I close my eyes again and let my headrest on the floor.  
  
"I knew it was a bad idea, I knew this would happen!" She yells as me making me smile weakly, I was dying here and she still couldn't help but be mad at me "I told you that you should have just gone back and got help! Why do you have to try and be the hero all the time!" she shouts wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.  
  
"Because everyone loves a hero," I mumble trying to sit up but finding that it hurts too much.  
  
"I love you anyway Chris Jericho, you don't have to be a hero," she whispers running her hand down the side of my face "I love you as you are" she says "Please don't die"  
  
"I'll try not to" I smile trying to lighten the mood a bit but realizing it wasn't the kind of mood I should be lightening in this was the last time I might ever see her again. "I'm sorry for loving you so much that I came to save you, I'm sorry that I kept getting myself into trouble and I'm sorry that you'll have to go to the party with deputy Test now, of all of them that is what I'm most sorry for" I say bringing her hand up to my face and kissing it.  
  
"Christ almighty!" Edge yells running towards us with a few others from the town including my father and Sheriff McMahon, Edge kneels at my side and grabs my shoulders "I told you not to get shot! I told you to wear it! This would never have happened if you hadn't worn my bullet proof armor I made you," he shouts trying to hold himself back from crying.  
  
"The armour" I whisper studying my hand, there was no blood..no blood meant..It didn't 


	13. Takes a Hero

Chapter 13  
  
I lay there for a little while on the dusty ground with my eyes closed, too scared to open them and see if I really had been shot or not. I open my eyes and see Stephanie sitting looking at my hands, she places her hand where the hole was in my shirt and feels the large dent in the metal plate.  
  
"Everyone move out of my way!" I hear my father shout as he kneels at my side too, he unbuttons my jacket and pulls the metal plate away from me and holds it up showing me the huge dent where the bullet had hit and not quite gone through enough to pierce my skin. I let out a huge sigh of relief as Stephanie grabs hold of me hugging my tightly.  
  
"Oww, I hurt" I moan as she squeezes me tightly "So ok I didn't get shot but I still fell off that stupid horse and the bullet did make a mark on me ya know" I say sitting up a little bit and inspecting the bruising mark on my chest from the metal plate and bullet. If it hadn't been for Edge making that for me I would be dead by now. "Edge, you saved my life," I say as they pull me to my feet.  
  
"Well you know, I do try, what are friends for if not for saving your life am I right" he laughs as everyone starts helping me back to the town. "I guess your ideas of being a hero didn't turn out quite right then?" he says handing me my hat.  
  
"He's still my hero" Stephanie says as I put my arm around her "And he got the girl" she laughs.  
  
"I did, ohhh where where!" I laugh picking her up and carrying her in my arms back to Blackfoot Lagoon. When we reach the entrance to the town everyone is waiting for us, I got the biggest welcome I'd ever had in my life. Not that I'd ever left the town to get a welcome but I guess you could call it a hero's welcome. "Congratulations" Deputy Test says walking over to me and offering me his hand, I look at him before extending my hand and shaking his. "I guess you deserve this, even though you are a little runt that stole what could have been my fame," he says dryly walking off back to the office.  
  
"Thanks for your sincerity!" I call after him looking at Stephanie and shrugging my shoulder "I guess not everyone can be happy for me huh" I laugh as loads of people charge over to me and start shaking my hands and patting me on the back making me yelp because it hurts.  
  
"Chris, I'll see you in a minute your fans are waiting for you" Stephanie shouts to me as I get surrounded by people, I grab her hand and squeeze my way through them and over to her "They are waiting for you" she laughs.  
  
"Drinks on me in the saloon!" I yell over the crowd as they all start swarming towards the saloon, I had no idea how I was going to pay for all the drinks that my town could consume but I'd think of that later right now I had one thing on my mind I had to ask her "Stephanie, you'll probably think it's too soon and totally out of the blue but..I was just wondering if you'd marry me?"  
  
So there we go there's my story..If you were wondering she said yes. If you still don't believe that all this happened to me in our little town on Blackfoot Lagoon, maybe one day we should meet. I can show you where all of this took place; I can show you the metal plate, which now hangs, above my mantelpiece in my families home. I can even show you the heart shaped broach that Stephanie..Now Stephanie Jericho still wears even today. One thing I cant ever show you is the outlaws, they never came back here again and it's been well over ten years since this all took place. I'm married, I have a family and I took over the family business. Everything I ever wanted was in Blackfoot lagoon, I just never bothered opening my eyes and looking for it..  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Well what did you think, did you like it? I know it was kinda different but I thought it could work well, so did it? I hope you all enjoyed reading this and look out for more of my fanfics, thanks for all the reviews too, you guys are great =) 


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